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I'm a 20-year-old who has been fascinated with maritime history for over a decade. I love this game! Nevertheless, here are some suggestions to make the game more realistic.
Suggestions for Endymion:
Redesign her rigging and sails:
Lead the tack of the innermost jib(Foretopmast staysail) to the Bowsprit cap (not to where the spritsail yard is).
Lead the tack of the middle jib(jib) to the end of the jibboom( not to the cap of the bowsprit), and the head of the sail to the foretopmast crosstrees (not the topgallant) and make this the largest of the jibs.
Add flying-jib-boom and extend the outermost jib(flying jib) to the end of the flying-jibboom(not to the end of the jib-boom), the head of the sail should lead to the top of the topgallant masts(not the end of the poles for royals)
delete the spritsail topsail and spritsail topsail yard
add a single (as on Trincomalee) or double (as on USS Consitution) dolphin striker. (Different ships carried different styles, but every frigate carried one
Add a middle staysail (peak leading to the main topmast crosstree, knock to the middle of the foretopmast, and tack at the foretop platform)
Delete the lowest staysail between the fore and mainmast, this sail would only be carried in a hurricane, in normal conditions it would interfere with the working of the riggning in the waste rendering the ship unmaneuverable in battle.
Lead the peak of the highest staysail between the masts to the main topgallant (not to the top of the pole).
Add a knock to the mizzen staysail(lowest staysail between the Mizzen and Main)
Recreate the sizes of the sails and spars to fit those listed of HMS Endymion.
Here are the parts of the sails listed above:
Here is Endymion in the game:
As compared to the rig of a 36-gun frigate built around 1795 (given the billet head instead of a figurehead, this was only used few ships for a short period between 1795-1797). Note the middle staysail lowered between the fore and main mast. Some sails that a ship of 1795 omitted on the model: Royals would be set on long poles above the topgallant sails(highest sails on the model) in light weather and the all the mizzen staysails and the main topgallant staysail are left out too. The lead of the martingale-stays suggest that the spritsail was rarely used and is indeed omitted on the model. Hence by 1797 Endymion would have rarely carried a spritsail. The spritsail topsail was obsolete and no longer rigged by 1795 and is omitted on the model. Notice the long dolphin striker similar to that of HMS Trincomalee.
Here are the spar dimensions of the Endymion from 1808.
Note all measurements of the length of the spars are in yards and inches separated by a hyphen. While the diameters are in inches
Masts:
Main: L 32-0, D 30+1/4
topmast: L 19-6, D 17+1/4
Topgallant: L 9-21, D 9+5/8
Pole (extension of the topgallant mast to carry royal sails): L 5 D 9+5/8
(dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Fore: L 29-13, D 27+1/4
topmast: L 17-0, D 17+1/4
Topgallant: L 8-18, D 8+1/4
Pole: L 4-24, D 8+1/8 (dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Mizzen: L 23-2, D 20
topmast: L 14-3, D 11+3/4
Topgallant: L 7-6, D 7+1/4
Pole: L 4-24, D 9+5/8 (dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Bowsprit: L 19-19 D28.
Jibboom: L 14-0, D 12
Flying jibboom: dimensions not listed, despite not being an official fitting, every frigate from about 1795 carried one.
Yards:
Main: L 28-26, D 19+7/8
topsail: L 20-24, D 12+7/4
Topgallant: L 13-8, D 8
royal: L 9, D 5 (dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Fore: L 28-26 D 19+7/8
topsail: L 18-20, D 11+5/8
Topgallant: L 11-11, D 7+1/8
royal: L 8, D 4+1/2 (dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Mizzen (Crossjack): L 28-26, D 19+7/8
topsail: L 18-20, D 11+5/8
Topgallant: L 11-11, D 7+1/8
royal: L 7, D 4 (dimensions not officially listed, but I reconstructed them from the spar plan of the modified Endymion class frigates)
Spritsail: L 18-20, D 11+5/8 (same as foretop)
Spritsail topsail: L 11-11, D 7+1/8 (This yard was obsolete never put up and should be omitted as it but instead carried as a spare for the topgallant yard, In fact, it was used so rarely that is was abolished issuing it by 1815)
Dolphin striker: (Although not part of the official listings on spar dimensions, by 1795 Frigates had extended the flying jib with a flying jib boom that required a long dolphin striker with martingale-stays provide the downward force to prevent flying jibboom from braking, the very same martingale stays prevented ships from using the spritsail topsail as it was obsolete). Endymion might have had a double Dolphin striker like the USS Constitution and HMS Acasta (A British frigate of similar size to Endymion also built in 1797)
Boom(spanker): L 20-24, D 11+5/8
Gaff(spanker): L 13-6 D 11+1/2
Note: Measurements of lower masts are from the mast-step not the deck. Also the masts would overlap at the tops and topgallant crosstrees. These can be seen in the spars of the modified Endymion class frigates (They had spars of reduced dimensions and greater diameter beacuse the ships were made of softwood):
External Appearance:
Add a large full body all white painted figurehead and delete the two rails running down the side of the waist not shown in the sheer plan.
Paint scheme as of 1797 (The only one that doesn't require also redesigning the forecastle barricade,)
The inside of the barricades were not red as they are in the game. This fell out of fashion in the 1780s. By 1797 they were blackyellow ochre.
It is extremely unlikely that the Endymion was ever painted as she is in the game! The broad yellow band that extends between the wales and the rail above the gunports should be narrowed and lowered to the rail that is the height of the middle of the gunports to follow what was most common in 1797 (it is what is shown in most paintings and on most models). Compare the Endymion in the game to the model and note which rail the yellow band reaches on the profile draught:
The unlikely alternative to this paint scheme for HMS Endymion 1797 would be a thin yellow band below the gunports similar to how HMS Shannon (and USS Chesapeake though not British)was painted as of 1813 and HMS Terpsichore was as of 1796. Here are the Shannon vs Chesapeake and Terpsichore vs Mahonesa:
Stern:
Her current stern in the game has a single curve over the transom which was a French and Spanish feature during the 1700s and early 1800s. British frigates by 1797 distinctly had separate curves over the galleries that protruded outside the ships hull and round stern gunports on the quarterdeck. They even went to the extent of redesigning the sterns of the ships they captured such as HMS Amelia ex-Proserpine. Here are examples of the Narcissus class 1801 and the Pallas class 1793:
Furthermore, all British frigates of the 1790s had 9 panes of glass in their stern windows unlike in the game where Endymion has six: Here is the example on a model of the Ex-french Pomone modified to resemble HMS Endymion circa 1815 (although the paint scheme of the model is similar to that of 1797):
Endymion's stern in the game wrongly resembles a French design such as that of the Volontaire shown below with a single curve around the whole stern galleries.
Ships Boats
As launched, Endymion was fitted with an 18 ft clinker built cutter(a small clinker-built multipurpose workboat dubbed the jollyboat), a 32 ft barge (a long narrow carvel built fast rowing boat), a 28 ft Launch (a wide heavy-duty carvel-built boat that could be armed with a 12 pounder carronade), and two 24 ft cutters (medium sized clinker-built workboats).
The jollyboat was stowed on stern davits and the rest of the boats stowed in the waist.
Post-1797 modification options
By 1800:
Solid barricades were built around the forecastle deck as shown in the earlier picture of the model. These are clearly shown on the inboard profile of the ship and on the model(note the model doesn't have the same position of the gunports on the forecastle because the model was originally of Pomone which Endymion was based on but had slightly different arrangements: The plan is accurate) and it is possible that Endymion was actually launched with them
Modifications as of 1805(at this time Endymion was armed with 18-pounders not 24s):
By 1805, Quarter davits were added and the two 24ft cutters were carried abreast the mizzen mast as can be seen on HMS Victory.
Additional paint scheme option. The Nelson chequer was the most likely paint scheme as of 1805. Note the yellow band is narrower and follows the gunports, not the external planking. Here is the Nelson chequer as painted on HMS Euryalus in 1805 which was under Nelson's command at Trafalgar (note the solid forecastle barricades):
Modifications as of 1811(also as armed with 18-pounders):
Paint scheme: An order from the Admiralty of 1811 replaced yellow paint with white paint, nevertheless some captains continued to paint their ships yellow. Here is a possibility of how Endymion was painted, note the inside of the bulwarks are green.
As of 1815 after her great repair and as she appeared during her battle with USS President:
Ships Boats: Many captain's include captain Hope of Endymion replaced the 18 ft jollyboat with a 24 ft fast rowing gig. In preparation for foreign service (as opposed to channel service) a 24 ft cutter was replaced by a 25 ft yawl (carvel-built equivalent). The 12-pounder carronade was carried by the Yawl instead of the Launch.
Hull Modifications: The full-length figurehead was replaced by a bust and the quarterdeck barricade extended forward to accommodate an extra gunport, meanwhile an extra beam was added to the quarterdeck extending the deck forward as well. The breastworks were deleted, top-riders (large diagonal timbers on the side of the ship to give the hull strength, but actually proved to weaken the hull) deleted, and gangways significantly widened. The result was what is shown on this model mean to depict HMS Endymion:
The extension of the quarterdeck by one beam and the bulwark can be faintly seen drawn in pencil on the inboard profile (note the prominent diagonal fastenings in this plan: top riders were removed in the great repair):
Furthermore, the opening between the forecastle and quarterdeck was further reduced by adding light gratings over the beams in the waist to create a makeshift spar deck as shown(ignoring the rounded off edges of the opening) on this model of HMS Lacedaemonian 1812 (model shows the ship post 1815 )
Pa)int Scheme:
It had been documented in writing (the naval chronical) and in paintings that by 1815, HMS Endymion was painted all black as shown in these paintings:
Rigging, spars and sails:
Skysails, skysail yards and skysail poles were extended above the Royals, otherwise, the rigging remained the same. Thomas Buttersworth paints Endymion with a single dolphin striker, but all paintings of British frigates with skysails show double dolphin strikers. It is difficult to tell whether she had one or two. Thomas Whitcombe painting of HMS Acasta (1797), one of the other three 40-gun frigates built in 1797 like Endymion, as she appeared in 1806 rigged with skysail poles and a double dolphin strike(note the other frigate in the background only has royal poles and has a single dolphin striker):
A minor detail is that after 1811, the sails would no longer be bent to the yards themselves(attached below) but rather to a jackstay allowing the sails to cover up the front each yard they were fastened to.
Armament :
Note: This section is displayed copied from Wikipedia, although I am the one that wrote the Wikipedia section. I listed this armament by cross-checking records in Robert Gardiner's Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars, Theodore Roosevelt's The Naval War of 1812, Andrew Lambert's The Challenge, and William James' Naval Occurrences with the plans of Endymion and the listed modifications to her hull.
It is noteworthy that the exact innovations that Captain Philip Broke of HMS Shannon used regarding artillery were adopted and used to great effect by HMS Endymion during her battle with USS President. Prof. Lambert describes the structural damage that USS President suffered which resulted from Endymion's gunfire: 5/15 starboard (where Endymion engaged) main-deck damaged to the point of being disabled and 10/15 main-deck gun crews hit despite the battle being fought with both ships in motion with a swell from the gales the night before. Multiple holes between wind and water (24-pounders could pierce through the American 44s sides unlike the 18-pounder shot that bounced off USS Constitution giving her the name "Old Ironsides"). Shot from Endymion was even found inside President's magazine (aft power room). 6ft of water was in President's hold by the time she was captured (although some could have been from the night before). Many historians fail to mention in detain the effect of Endymion's firepower or the extraordinary accuracy allowed by Broke's system. Perhaps it would be worth increasing Endymion's reload speed and accuracy to represent Broke's innovations that captain Hope adopted? (By 1815 these methods were also used on the frigates HMS Spartan, HMS Euryalus, HMS Tenedos, HMS Shannon and perhaps more)
1797:
Upper deck: 26 × 24-pounder guns (11 kg);
QD: 6 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades + 8 × 9-pounder (4kg) long guns
Fc: 2 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades, + 4 × 9-pounder (4kg) guns
From Nov 1803 to 17 May 1813:
Upper deck: 26 × 18-pounders (8 kg);
QD:14 × 32-pounder (15 kg) carronades
Fc: 4 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades, + 2 × 9-pounder (4kg) guns
From 17 May 1813:
Upper deck: 26 × 24-pounder guns
QD:16 × 32-pounder (15 kg) carronades
Fc: 1 × 18-pounder (8 kg) brass long gun + 4 × 32-pounder carronades
Additional unofficial armament:
Ships boat: 1 × 12-pounder (5kg) gunnade
Fighting Tops: Swivel mounted smaller guns

So I've just seen that on facebook they've announced a new ship, the HMS Endymion. They say it'll have a topspeed of 15 knots, combined with a 24-lb gundeck According to wiki, the crew count is around 300-340. I'm really looking forward to this ship as I think there must be some severe downsides (sailing- and/or turning characteristics) of having a topspeed of 15 knots AND 24lb cannons on a 5th rate. Will it be the Reno 2.0? What do you think about it? =)
https://www.facebook.com/NavalAction/photos/a.253997028091556.1073741828.203746273116632/674944579330130/?type=3&theater